Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source desktop email client similar to Microsoft Outlook. Thunderbird allows you to send and receive mail from one or more email accounts and provides business productivity tools such as calendars and task lists. When you upgrade your office computer, you want to ensure that your email, contacts, appointments and calendars stay with you. Unlike Outlook, there is no built-in way to export your email and settings in Thunderbird. You either need to manually copy your profile folder over to the new machine, which is the “official” method, or you can use MozBackup, a third-party utility that allows you to export mail and settings with a few clicks.

Official Method

1

Make sure your backup media -- flash drive, external hard drive or CD -- is plugged in or inserted into the old computer and turned on.

2

Click the Windows “Start” button and type the following path in the Search field:

C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles

Replace “” with your Windows account username.

3

Press “Enter.” Right-click on the folder that ends in ".default" and click “Copy.”

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4

Click “Computer” in the navigation pane on the left. Double-click on your backup drive and browse to the desired sub-folder.

5

Press "Ctrl-V" to paste the data. If your backup device is a CD or DVD, you will need to click “Burn to Disc” afterward.

6

Remove the backup media when the copy process is complete, and plug or insert it into the destination machine.

7

Log in to Windows on the new computer and install Thunderbird if you haven’t already done so. Close Thunderbird.

8

Click the Windows “Start” button and select “Computer.” Double-click on your backup drive and open the ".default" folder.

9

Press "Ctrl-A" to select the entire contents of the folder. Press "Ctrl-C" to copy the contents.

10

Click the Windows “Start” button and type the following in the Search field:

C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles

Replace “” with your Windows account username.

11

Press “Enter.” Double-click on the ".default" folder to open it.

12

Press "Ctrl-V" to paste the files over from your backup. If you are asked whether or not you want to overwrite anything, select “Yes” in each instance. When you open Thunderbird, all your email messages and settings should be intact.

MozBackup

1

On the old computer, open a Web browser, and go to MozBackup download page (see Resources). Click the “Install Program” link from either of the two download sources.

2

Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Launch MozBackup and click “Next.”

3

Click the “Backup a profile” radio button and make sure that Thunderbird is selected in the application list. Click “Next.”

4

Click the “Browse” button and navigate to your backup drive. Click “Next.” Indicate whether or not you want to protect the file with a password.

5

Check the box next to each item you would like to back up and click “Next.” The time it takes to back up the data depends on how much data you have. Click “Finish.”

6

Connect your backup media to the new computer and install and launch MozBackup.

7

Click the radio button next to “Restore a profile.” Click “Browse“ and navigate to the backup location. Click “Next.

8

Check the box next to each item you originally backed up and click “Next.” Click “Finish.”

References

Resources

Photo Credits

moodboard/moodboard/Getty Images

About the Author

A writer and proofreader since 2006, B. Steele also works as an IT Help Desk analyst, specializing in consumer and business user tech support. She earned a B.A. in English and journalism from Roger Williams University. Steele also holds certifications as a Microsoft-certified desktop support technician, Microsoft-certified IT professional, Windows 7 enterprise support technician and CompTIA A+ IT technician.